Alms

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File:Thorma Alms.jpg

Woman giving alms by János Thorma

Alms (Template:IPAc-en, Template:IPAc-en) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty.<ref>Template:Cite Merriam-Webster</ref><ref>Template:Cite Dictionary.com</ref> Providing alms is often considered an act of charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving.

Etymology

The word alms comes from the Old English {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, which comes from Late Latin {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, from Greek {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("pity, alms"), from {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("merciful"), from {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, meaning "pity or mercy".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Buddhism

File:Three monks chanting in Lhasa, 1993.jpg

Three monks seeking alms in Lhasa, Tibet in 1993.

Dāna in Buddhism

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In Buddhism, both "almsgiving" and "giving" are called "dāna" (Pāli).<ref>Nyanatiloka (1980), entry for "dāna". Budsas.org Template:Webarchive</ref> Such giving is one of the three elements of the path of practice as formulated by the Buddha for laypeople.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This path of practice for laypeople is dāna, sīla, and bhāvanā.<ref>Nyanatiloka (1980), entry for "dāna" Budsas.org Template:Webarchive; and, PTS (1921–25), entry for "Puñña" (merit)Uchicago.edu.</ref>

Generosity towards other sentient beings is also emphasized in Mahayana as one of the perfections (paramita). As shown in Lama Tsong Khapa's 'The Abbreviated Points of the Graded Path' (Template:Bo):

The giving of alms is the beginning of one's journey to Nirvana (Template:Langx). In practice, one can give anything with or without thought for Nibbana. This would lead to faith (Template:Langx), one key power (Template:Langx) that one should generate within oneself for the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.

According to the Pali canon:

Of all gifts [alms], the gift of Dhamma is the highest.{{#if:Dhp. chapter 24, verse 354)Template:Efn|{{#if:|}}

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Intentions for giving

The intentions behind giving play an important role in developing spiritual qualities. The suttas record various motives for exercising generosity. For example, the Anguttara Nikaya (A.iv, 236) enumerates the following eight motives:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

1. One gives with annoyance, or as a way of offending the recipient, or with the idea of insulting him.
2. Fear also can motivate a person to make an offering.
3. One gives in return for a favor done to oneself in the past.
4. One also may give with the hope of getting a similar favor for oneself in the future.
5. One gives because giving is considered good.
6. "I cook, they do not cook. It is not proper for me who cooks not to give to those who do not cook." (i.e. Some give because they are able to do what others cannot.)
7. Some give alms to gain a good reputation.
8. Still others give alms to adorn and beautify the mind.

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File:Almsbowl2.jpg

Alms bowl as used by bhikkhus for going on an alms round

In support of Buddhist monks

In Buddhism, alms or almsgiving is the respect given by a lay Buddhist to a Buddhist monk, nun, spiritually-developed person or other sentient being. It is not charity as presumed by Western interpreters. It is closer to a symbolic connection to the spiritual realm and to show humbleness and respect in the presence of the secular society.Template:Efn The act of almsgiving connects the human to the monk or nun and what he/she represents. As the Buddha has stated: Template:Poem quote

File:Gift bags and medical kits to be given to monks.jpg

Pre-packaged alms kits can be bought to donate to monks

In Theravada Buddhism, nuns (Pāli: bhikkhunis) and monks (Pāli: bhikkhus) practice Takuhatsu ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) where they collect food ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}). This is often perceived as allowing the laypeople to make merit (Pāli: puñña). Money cannot be accepted by a Theravadan Buddhist monk or nun in place of or in addition to food, as the Patimokkha training rules make it an offense worth forfeiture and confession.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In countries that follow Mahayana Buddhism, the practice of Takuhatsu has mostly died out. In China, Korea, and Japan, local cultures resisted the idea of giving food to 'begging' clerics, and there was no tradition of gaining 'merit' by donating to practitioners. After periods of persecution, monasteries were situated in remote mountain areas; the distance between the monastery and the nearest towns made this practice impossible. In Japan, the practice of a weekly or monthly Takuhatsu replaced the daily round. In the Himalayan countries, the large number of bhikkhus would have made an alms round a heavy burden on families. Competition with other religions for support also made daily practice difficult and even dangerous; the first Buddhist monks in the Silla dynasty of Korea were said to be beaten due to their minority at the time.Template:Citation needed

Christianity

File:Codex Tennenbach 4 017r.jpg

St. Clare distributes alms; Tennenbach Codex 4, illustrated before Template:Circa

In Christianity, the giving of alms is viewed as an act of charity.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the Apostolic age, Christians were taught that giving alms was an expression of love. Such care for the poor was to be understood as love for God, who, in the person of Jesus Christ, sacrificed himself for the salvation of believers.Template:Efn

In nearly all Christian denominations, money is donated to support the church's financial needs and its ministry to the less fortunate. In some churches, the alms are placed near to the altar to symbolize that the offering belongs to God and to represent the unity of the congregation.Template:Efn

In Western Christianity

File:Collecting the Offering in a Scottish Kirk by John Phillip YORAG 384.jpg

Collecting the Offering in a Scottish Kirk by John Phillip

The offertory is the traditional moment in the Roman Catholic Mass, Lutheran Divine Service, and Anglican Eucharist, when alms are collected. Baptists and Methodists, among other denominations, collect tithes and offerings (alms) during the offertory in church services. A tithe, the first tenth of one's income, is seen as what is owed to God, while an offering (alms) includes anything contributed beyond that.<ref name="Prince2011">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="ClaydonClarke2010">Template:Cite book</ref> Some fellowships practice regular giving for special purposes called "love offerings" for the poor, destitute or victims of catastrophic loss such as home fires or medical expenses. Traditionally, deacons and deaconesses are responsible for distributing these gifts among widows, orphans, and others in need. Many Christians support a plethora of charitable organizations, not all of which claim a Christian religious affiliation. Many American educational and medical institutions were founded by Christian fellowships giving alms.

In Eastern Christianity

In the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches, the collection of alms and tithes has not been formally united to the offertory in any liturgical action. However, either having a collection plate in the narthex or passing it unobtrusively during the service is not uncommon. In Eastern Orthodox theology, almsgiving is an important part of the spiritual life, and fasting should always be accompanied by increased prayer and almsgiving.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Almsgiving in the name of the deceased also frequently accompanies prayer for the dead. Those whose financial circumstances do not permit the giving of monetary alms may give alms in other ways, such as intercessory prayer and acts of mercy such as visiting people in prison, clothing the poor or volunteering in soup kitchens.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the New Testament

In addition, private acts of charity are a duty and considered virtuous only if not done for others to admire:

Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' in front of others, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.{{#if:Template:Bibleverse|{{#if:|}}

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Jesus places the primary focus on the motives behind the outward and inward giving of alms, which should be love:

Rather, give as alms what is inside, and then everything will be clean for you!{{#if:Template:Bibleverse|{{#if:|}}

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File:Gospel of Luke Chapter 21-4 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media).jpg

Jesus commends this poor but generous woman in Template:Bibleverse.

Jesus contrasts the giving of the rich and the poor:

He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, 'Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.'{{#if:Template:Bibleverse|{{#if:|}}

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Giving should be out of love and not out of duty:

He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'{{#if:Template:Bibleverse|{{#if:|}}

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Sharing possessions was practised in the church:

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.{{#if:Acts 4:32|{{#if:true|}}

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..there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means "son of encouragement"), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.{{#if:Acts 4:34-37|{{#if:true|}}

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Hinduism

File:Mandodari based on Raja Ravi Varma's painting (cropped).jpg

Lady giving alms at the Temple by Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906)

Dāna in Hinduism

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In Hinduism, Template:IAST (Template:Langx) is an ancient concept of almsgiving dating to the Vedic period of Hinduism.<ref name=shahsoulful>Shah et al. (2013), Soulful Corporations: A Values-Based Perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, Template:ISBN, page 125, Quote: "The concept of Daana (charity) dates back to the Vedic period. The Rig Veda enjoins charity as a duty and responsibility of every citizen."</ref> Template:IAST has been defined in traditional texts as any action of relinquishing the ownership of what one considered or identified as one's own, and investing the same in a recipient without expecting anything in return.<ref name=kandm3>Krishnan & Manoj (2008), Giving as a theme in the Indian psychology of values, in Handbook of Indian Psychology (Editors: Rao et al.), Cambridge University Press, Template:ISBN, pages 361-382</ref> While Template:IAST is typically given to one person or family, Hinduism also discusses charity or giving aimed at public benefit, which is sometimes called utsarga. This aims at larger projects such as building a rest house, school, investing in drinking water or an irrigation well, planting trees, and building care facilities, among others.<ref>Sanjay Agarwal (2010), Daan and Other Giving Traditions in India, Template:Asin, page 54-62</ref> The practice of begging for alms is called bhiksha (Template:Langx).<ref>bhikSA Template:Webarchive Sanskrit English Dictionary, University of Koeln, Germany</ref><ref>Alberto Garcia Gomez et al. (2014), Religious Perspectives on Human Vulnerability in Bioethics, Springer, Template:ISBN, pages 170-171</ref>

The 11th century Persian historian Abū Rayḥān al-Bīrūnī, who visited and lived in India for 16 years beginning in about 1017 CE, mentions the practice of charity and almsgiving among Hindus as he observed during his stay. He wrote, "It is obligatory with them (Hindus) every day to give alms as much as possible."<ref name="birunihind">Alberuni's India (v. 2), Chapter LXVII, On Alms and how a man must spend what he earns Template:Webarchive, Columbia University Libraries, London : Kegan Paul, Trübner & Co., (1910), pages 149-150</ref>

After the taxes, there are different opinions on how to spend their income. Some destine one-ninth of it for alms.<ref>Al Biruni states that another one-ninth is put into savings/reserve, one-ninth in investment/trade for profits</ref> Others divide this income (after taxes) into four portions. One fourth is destined for common expenses, the second for liberal works of a noble mind, the third for alms, and the fourth for being kept in reserve.{{#if:|{{#if:|}}

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Almsgiving in Hinduism is considered a noble deed to be done without expectation of any return from those who receive the charity.<ref name=kandm3/> Some texts reason, referring to the nature of social life, that charity is a form of good karma that affects one's future circumstances and environment, and that good charitable deeds leads to good future life because of the reciprocity principle.<ref name=kandm3/> Other Hindu texts, such as Vyasa Samhita, state that reciprocity may be innate in human nature and social functions but dāna is a virtue in itself, as doing good lifts the nature of one who gives.<ref>MN Dutt (1979), Template:Google books, Volumes 3, Cosmo Publishers, pages 20-29</ref> The texts do not recommend charity to unworthy recipients or where charity may harm or encourage injury to or by the recipient. Template:IAST is thus a dharmic act, requires an idealistic-normative approach, and has spiritual and philosophical context.<ref name=kandm3/> Some medieval era authors state that Template:IAST is best done with śraddhā (faith), which is defined as being in good will, cheerful, welcoming the recipient of the charity and giving without anasuya (finding faults in the recipient).<ref name=bilimoriadaana/> Kohler states that these scholars of Hinduism suggest that charity is most effective when it is done with delight, a sense of "unquestioning hospitality", where the dāna ignores the short term weaknesses as well as the circumstances of the recipient and takes a long-term view.<ref name=bilimoriadaana>P Bilimoria et al. (2007), Dana as a Moral Category, in Indian Ethics: Classical traditions and contemporary challenges, Volume 1, Template:ISBN, pages 196-197 with footnotes</ref>

Institutional dāna

Satrams, also called Dharamsala or Chathrams in parts of India, have been one means of almsgiving in Hinduism. Satrams are shelters (rest houses) for travelers and the poor, with many serving water and free food. These were usually established along the roads connecting major Hindu temple sites in south Asia, as well as near major temples.<ref>KN Kumari (1998), History of the Hindu Religious Endowments in Andhra Pradesh, Template:ISBN, page 128</ref><ref>Kota Neelima (2012), Tirupati, Random House, Template:ISBN, pages 50-52; Prabhavati C. Reddy (2014), Hindu Pilgrimage: Shifting Patterns of Worldview of Srisailam in South India, Routledge, Template:ISBN, page 190</ref><ref>Sanctuaries of times past The Hindu (June 27, 2010)</ref> Hindu temples have also served as institutions for almsgiving.<ref>SK Aiyangar, Ancient India: Collected Essays on the Literary and Political History, Asian Educational Services, Template:ISBN, pages 158-164</ref><ref name=burste/> The dāna the temples received from Hindus were used to feed people in distress as well as fund public projects such as irrigation and land reclamation.<ref name=burste>Burton Stein, The Economic Function of a Medieval South Indian Temple, The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 19 (February, 1960), pp 163-76</ref><ref>Burton Stein (February 4, 1961), The state, the temple and agriculture development, The Economic Weekly Annual, pp 179-187</ref>

Forms of dāna

Forms of almsgiving in Hinduism include:

1. go dāna, the donation of a cow<ref>Padma (1993), The Position of Women in Mediaeval Karnataka, Prasaranga, University of Mysore Press, page 164</ref>
2. bhu dāna ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), the donation of land
3. vidya dāna or jñāna dāna ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), the giving of knowledge and skills
4. aushadhā dāna, the giving of care for the sick and diseased
5. abhay dāna, the giving of freedom from fear (such as asylum or protection for someone facing imminent injury)
6. anna dāna ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), the giving of food to the poor, needy, and all visitors<ref>Abbe Dubois and Henry Beauchamp (2007), Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Template:ISBN, pages 223, 483-495</ref>

Between giving food and giving knowledge, Hindu texts suggest the gift of knowledge is superior.<ref>Maria Heim (2004), Theories of the Gift in South Asia: Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain Reflections, Routledge, Template:ISBN, pages xv-xxvi, 141-149 and Chapter 2</ref><ref>The Gift of Knowledge Template:Webarchive Chitrapur Matha, India</ref>

In the Vedas

The Rigveda has the earliest discussion of Template:IAST in the Vedas and offers reasons for the virtue of almsgiving.<ref name=rhdana>R Hindery, Comparative ethics in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, Vol 2, Number 1, page 105</ref>

In the Upanishads

The early Upanishads, those composed before 500 BCE, discuss the virtue of almsgiving. For example, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad states in verse 5.2.3 that three characteristics of a good, developed person are self-restraint (dama), compassion or love for all sentient life (daya), and charity (Template:IAST).<ref name=kane>PV Kane, Samanya Dharma, History of Dharmasastra, Vol. 2, Part 1, page 5</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Translator: S Madhavananda, page 816, For discussion: pages 814-821</ref> Chandogya Upanishad, similarly, states in Book III that a virtuous life requires tapas (meditation, asceticism), dāna (charity), arjava (straightforwardness, non-hypocrisy), ahimsa (non-violence, non-injury to all sentient beings) and satyavacana (truthfulness).<ref>अथ यत्तपो दानमार्जवमहिँसा सत्यवचनमिति ता अस्य दक्षिणाः Source: Chandogya Upanishad (Sanskrit) Template:Webarchive Verse 3.17.4, Wikisource</ref>Template:Efn<ref>Robert Hume, Chandogya Upanishad 3.17, The Thirteen Principal Upanishads, Oxford University Press, pages 212-213</ref><ref>Chandogya Upanishad with Shankara Bhashya Ganganath Jha (Translator), pages 165-166</ref>

In Mahabharata and Puranas

Bhagavad Gita describes the right and wrong forms of Template:IAST in verses 17.20 through 17.22.<ref>Christopher Key Chapple, The Bhagavad Gita: Twenty-fifth–Anniversary Edition, State University of New York Press, Template:ISBN, pages 653-655</ref> The Adi Parva of the Hindu Epic Mahabharata states in Chapter 91 that a person must first acquire wealth by honest means, then embark on charity; be hospitable to those who come to him; never inflict pain on any living being; and share a portion with others whatever he consumes.<ref>M.N. Dutt (Translator), Adi Parva, Chapter XCI, verses 3-4, page 132</ref> In the Vana Parva, Chapter 194, the Mahabharata recommends that one must "conquer the mean by charity, the untruthful by truth, the wicked by forgiveness, and dishonesty by honesty".<ref>MN Dutt (Translator), Vana Parva, Chapter CXCIV, verse 6, page 291</ref>

The Bhagavata Purana discusses when Template:IAST is proper and when it is improper. In Book 8, Chapter 19, verse 36, it states that charity is inappropriate if it endangers and cripples modest livelihood of one's biological dependents or of one's own. Charity from surplus income above that required for modest living is recommended in the Puranas.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Islam

In Islam, the concept of Muhsi or Muhsin alms-giver or charitable giving is generally divided into voluntary giving, ṣadaqah ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and an obligatory practice, the zakāh ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}). Zakāh is governed by a specific set of rules within Islamic jurisprudence and is intended to fulfill a well-defined set of theological and social requirements. Ṣadaqah is possibly a better translation of Christian influenced formulations of the notion of "alms" for that reason, though zakāh plays a much larger role within Islamic charity.

Zakat

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Zakāh is the third of the five pillars of Islam.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The literal meaning of the word zakāh is "to purify", "to develop" and "cause to grow". Zakāh is the amount of money that every Muslim, male or female, who is an adult, mentally stable, free, and financially able, has to pay to support specific categories of people. According to shariah, it is an act of worship. Possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need. This cutting back, like the pruning of plants, balances and encourages new growth. Various rules are attached but, in general terms, it is obligatory to give 2.5% of one's savings and business revenue and 5–10% of one's harvest to the poor.<ref name="ZakatGuide">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Possible recipients include the destitute, the working poor, those who are unable to pay off their own debts, stranded travelers and others who need assistance, with the general principle of zakat always being that the rich should pay it to the poor. One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God and wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust.<ref>Template:Citequran</ref><ref>Template:Citequran</ref>

This category of people is defined in At-Tawbah:

"The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarers; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is knower, Wise."{{#if:Qur'an 9:60|{{#if:|}}

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The obligatory nature of zakat is firmly established in the Qur'an, the sunnah (or hadith), and the consensus of the companions and the Muslim scholars. Allah states in At-Tawbah:

"O ye who believe! there are indeed many among the priests and anchorites, who in Falsehood devour the substance of men and hinder (them) from the way of Allah. And there are those who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah. announce unto them a most grievous penalty – On the Day when heat will be produced out of that (wealth) in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs.- "This is the (treasure) which ye buried for yourselves: taste ye, then, the (treasures) ye buried!"{{#if:Qur'an 9:34–35|{{#if:|}}

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Muslims of each era have agreed upon the obligatory nature of paying zakat from their gold and silver, and from other kinds of currency.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Nisab

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Zakat is obligatory when a certain amount of money, called the nisab (or minimum amount), is reached or exceeded. Zakat is not obligatory if the amount owned is less than this nisab. The nisab of gold and golden currency is 20 mithqal, or approximately 85 grams of pure gold. One mithqal is approximately 4.25 grams. The nisab of silver and silver currency is 200 dirhams, which is approximately 595 grams of pure silver. The nisab of other kinds of money and currency is to be scaled to that of gold; the nisab of money is equivalent to the price of 85 grams of 999-type (pure) gold on the day in which zakat is paid.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Zakat is obligatory after the money has been in the control of its owner for the span of one lunar year; a lunar year is approximately 355 days. The owner then needs to pay 2.5% (or 1/40) of the money as zakat. The owner should deduct any amount of money he or she borrowed from others, check if the rest reaches the necessary nisab, then pay zakat for it.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

If the owner had enough money to satisfy the nisab at the beginning of the year, but his wealth in any form increased, the owner needs to add the increase to the nisab amount owned at the beginning of the year and then pay zakat, 2.5%, of the total at the end of the lunar year. There are minor differences between fiqh schools on how this is to be calculated. Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakat individually. For most purposes, this involves the payment each year of two and a half percent of one's capital.<ref name="ZakatGuide" />

Sadaqah

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} A pious person may also give alms as much as he or she pleases as ṣadaqah, and does so preferably in secret. Although this word can be translated as 'voluntary charity', it has a wider meaning, as illustrated in the hadiths:

The Messenger of Allah said: "Every good is charity. Indeed among the good is to meet your brother with a smiling face, and to pour what is left in your bucket into the vessel of your brother."{{#if:Jamiʽ at-Tirmidhi 27.76, hadith compiled by Al-Tirmidhi<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>|{{#if:|}}

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The Prophet said: "Charity is a necessity for every Muslim." He was asked: "What if a person has nothing?" The Prophet replied: "He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity." The Companions asked: "What if he is not able to work?"

The Prophet said: "He should help poor and needy persons." The Companions further asked "What if he cannot do even that?" The Prophet said "He should urge others to do good." The Companions said "What if he lacks that also?" The Prophet said "He should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity."{{#if:Riyadh as-Salihin 141, hadith compiled by Al-Nawawi<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>|{{#if:|}}

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Judaism

Tzedakah

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File:Jewish cemetery Otwock Karczew Anielin IMGP6721.jpg

Sandstone vestige of a Jewish gravestone depicting a tzedakah box (pushke) in a Jewish cemetery in Otwock (Karczew-Anielin), Poland.

File:Tzedoko gelt.JPG

Tzedakah pouch and gelt (Yiddish for coins/money) on fur-like padding.

In Judaism, tzedakah, a Hebrew term literally meaning righteousness but commonly used to signify "charity",<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> refers to the religious obligation to do what is right and just.<ref name="JTauber">Tzedakah vs The Myth of Charity Template:Webarchive; by Yanki Tauber; Retrieved 03-11-2012.</ref>Template:Efn In the Greek Septuagint tzedakah was sometimes translated as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "almsgiving".<ref>As per Gesenius Lexicon; "Deuterony 6:25 καὶ ἐλεημοσύνη ἔσται...", "... derived from the Greek ἐλεημοσύνη (mercifulness), used by Greek-speaking Jews to denote almost exclusively the offering of charity to the needy, from a feeling of both compassion and righteousness (ẓedaḳah). (See LXX. (note: Septuagint) on Prov. xxi. 21, and Dan. iv. 24.)"</ref><ref name="Alms">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

In Judaism, tzedakah is seen as one of the greatest deeds that a person can do. Tzedakah, along with prayer and repentance, is regarded as ameliorating the consequences of bad acts. Contemporary tzedakah is regarded as a continuation of the Biblical Maaser Ani, or poor-tithe, as well as Biblical practices including permitting the poor to glean the corners of a field, harvest during the Shmita (sabbatical year), and other practices.Template:Citation needed Jewish farmers are commanded to leave the corners of their fields for the starving to harvest for food and are forbidden to pick up any grain that has been dropped during harvesting, as such food shall be left for the starving as well.Template:Citation neededTemplate:Efn

In the Mishneh Torah, Chapter 10:7–14, Maimonides lists eight "laws about giving to poor people" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), listed in order from most to least righteous, with the most righteous form being allowing an individual to become self-sustaining and capable of giving others charity:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

1. Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant.
2. Giving when neither party knows the other's identity.
3. Giving when you know the recipient's identity, but the recipient doesn't know your identity.
4. Giving when you do not know the recipient's identity, but the recipient knows your identity.
5. Giving before being asked.
6. Giving after being asked.
7. Giving less than you should, but giving it cheerfully.
8. Giving begrudgingly.

Mandaeism

Zidqa

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In Mandaeism, zidqa refers to alms or almsgiving.<ref name="GR Gelbert">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Drower 1937">Drower, Ethel Stefana. 1937. The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.</ref> Mandaean priests receive regular financial contributions from laypeople.

The Mandaic term zidqa brika (literally "blessed oblation") refers to a ritual meal blessed by priests. An early self-appellation for Mandaeans is bhiri zidqa, meaning "elect of righteousness".<ref name=RudolphEI>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Bibliography

• Mydans, Seth (20 September 2007). Monks Pressure Myanmar Junta (New York Times). Retrieved 20 September 2007 from "The New York Times
• Nyanatiloka Mahathera (4th ed., 1980). Buddhist Dictionary: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society. Template:ISBN. Available on-line at Budsas.org
• Pāli Text Society (PTS) (1921–1925). The Pāli Text Society's Pāli-English dictionary. London: Chipstead. Available on-line at Uchicago.edu Template:Webarchive
• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997). Tanhavagga: Craving (Dhp XXIV). Available on-line at Accesstoinsight.org
• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2001). The Group of Fours (Itivuttaka 4). Available on-line at Accesstoinsight.org
• Tsongkhapa & Alexander Berzin (trans.) (2001). The Abbreviated Points of the Graded Path. Available on-line at StudyBuddhism.com

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